About Gossamer winged, Blues and Coppers
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide. Traditional divided into the blues Polyommatinae, coppers Lycaeninae, hairstreaks Theclinae and harvesters Miletinae et al. Adults are small, under 50 mm usually, and brightly coloured, sometimes with a metallic gloss. Adult butterflies often have hairy antenna like tails complete with black and white annulated appearance.
Common Grass Blue
Common Grass Blue Zizina labradus is very small (wingspan about 20 mm) and common in Brisbane. They fly close to the ground over grass and low vegetation. Common in urban areas where they feed on the young leaves and pea-like flowers of White Clover Trifolium repens and other species of the family Fabaceae. They have black bodies, wings are grey-purple-blue on top pink or reddish-brown-white underneath. They camouflage well among the grass and clover on which they feed. Caterpillars have a light brown head and a body covered with fine hairs, with a dark green line running along their back.
Common Grass Blue. Photo: Derek Boddington
Photo: Derek Boddington
This Common Grass Blue photographed on Saturday 17 November 2007 in a garden in The Gap, shows the blue furry appearance of the body between the upper wings. Photo: Robert Whyte
Yellow Jewel
Yellow Jewel Hypochrysops byzos is a small butterfly with a wingspan to roughly 30 mm. The male underside is orange with red bands and spots edged with metallic green. Female underside bright yellow rather than orange. The adult males are metallic blue on top with black wing margins. They have two small orange spots on the tail of each hind wing. The adult females are dark brown on top with an orange blotch on each wing. Food plant is Rusty Pomaderris Pomaderris ferruginea. There are no records that Yellow Jewel butterfly occurred in Enoggera catchment, however there is a specimen in the DPI collection labeled Mount Gravatt 1901 so it may have once occurred in this area as well.
Dainty Grass Blue
The Dainty Grass Blue Zizula hylax is a small butterfly with a wingspan of only 15 mm. Their wing tops are dark brown, fading toward the wing bases, the males wings have a purple iridescence. Underneath, both sexes are pale grey, with multiple arcs of brown dashes. Their caterpillars are green with a dark red line along the back, the sides are hairy and the head pale brown. They feed inside the fruits of plants such as Karamat Hygrophila angustifolia.
Photo: Derek Boddington
Purple Moonbeam
This small white butterfly with dark fringing and spectacular zebra striped legs and antennae also featured blue on the upper surfaces of the wings. Could be Purple moonbeam Philliris innotatus which is common in lowland rainforest and wet coastal areas including vine thickets along creeks and rivers on Ficus spp. It is found in Indonesia, New Guinea as well as Queensland.
Photo: Robert Whyte
Close-up. Photo: Robert Whyte
